Denial is a powerful force and it’s one that you might run into more often than you expect as a caregiver. The most common place you’re going to run into denial is from other family members, believe it or not. They may be in the dark completely about what your senior needs and what her life is really like right now.
Why Don’t They Understand?
There are so many reasons for family members to have no clue what’s really going on with your elderly family member’s life. They may be willfully ignoring what you’re telling them or they may have misconceptions about what’s going on. Keep in mind also that your elderly family member may literally tell them something different because she doesn’t want them to worry or to be upset. You may not even have access to what she’s sharing with other family members if she doesn’t want you to know.
Stay Calm in Your Truth
It’s really easy to let frustration overtake you when it comes to this sort of situation. But getting angry and starting an argument is not going to help your elderly family member and it’s not going to help you. It definitely won’t help your other family members to get on the same page. Stay calm and know that you know what’s really going on.
Share What Information You Can
Within the bounds of what you can share, make sure that you’re informing other family members to the best of your ability. This might be something you need to talk to your senior about. If she doesn’t want other family members to know the full extent of her health challenges, you’ll need to respect that boundary.
Do What You Know Needs to Be Done
In the end, you need to do what you know needs to be done because you’re the one in the trenches with your senior. So if you know that home care providers are the answer to problems you’re experiencing, stick to your guns. Other family members may never understand just how the solutions you put into place solve problems for yourself and for your senior.
When other family members are in the dark about your senior’s true situation, they might be trying to make life a little more difficult for you. It’s important to remember that they may not be doing this maliciously. They may believe firmly that they’re doing what’s best for your senior, even if they don’t know what the best thing to do really is.
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Homecare in Seminole, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
